Device for sorting rivets



Oct. 27, 1942; L. L KING AL 2,300,124

DEVICE FOR SORTING RIVETS Filed Jan. 9, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet -l 150 L Awaw I IE we, 1

/ A ITTORNEY 0ct.21,1942. L NGYETAL ,3

DEVICE FOR SORTING RIVE'IS Filed Jan. 9, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q Mum/vb. 720102,

. IN VENTORS' Oct. 27, 1942.

L. L. KING ET AL DEVICE FOR SORTING RI VETS Filed Jan. 9 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VENTORS.

A TTORNE Y Oct. 27, 1942; K N ETAL 2,300,124

- DEVICE FOR SORTING RIVETS Filed Jan. 9, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 MAL/AM S. ZA YLOQA INVENTORS.

A TTORNE Y Patented Oct. 27, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,300,124 DEVICE FOR SORTING RIVETS Leo L. King and William S. Taylor, Los Angeles,

Calif., assignors to Douglas Calif., a corporation of Del- Inc., Santa Monica, aware Aircraft Company,

Application January 9, 1939, Serial No. 249,882

7 Claims.

plished by pressure of a fluid; wherein the ar-,

ticles to be sorted are carried along a conveyor and means are provided in different positions along the travel of the conveyor whereby impact will be imparted to articlesof different sizes, such impact being of a magnitude to dislodge the articles from the conveyor into suitable receivers or containers; wherein the articles to be sorted are carried into consecutive positions in which a prescribed part of each article will coincide with a fixed point in each position into which it may be brought, and wherein impacting forces are produced in each of the positions in spaced relation to the fixed point to dislodge from the positions and into suitable receivers the articles which are engaged by the impacting forces; wherein the dislodgment of the articles from the conveyor means is accomplished by blasts of fluid which issue from suitably placed jets; wherein the articles tobe sorted are conveyed in a substantially reclining position and are dislodged upwardly and laterally into the receivers; wherein shouldered articles, such as rivets, are carried along by a slender conveyor of thread-like character, such as a braided or twisted cable or cord, which engages the shoulders of the articles and moves the articles in such a manner that the shoulders follow a prescribed line in their movement through consecutive positions; and wherein the articles are carried along a wall in such a manner that the shoulders thereof will follow a prescribed line of movement, and wherein the wall has jets spaced along and at decreasing distances from the line of movement.

It is a further object to provide a rivet sorter having a single jet forming nozzle in form of a slot disposed at an angle to the line of travel of the rivetswhich are to be sorted.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification.

Referring to the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation showing a preferred embodiment of. our invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view in which certain parts are cross-sectioned on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section taken as indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig; 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section taken on a plane represented by the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section taken on a plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a front portion of the device to illustrate the manner in which the rivets are fed to the conveyor, carried therealong, and finally sorted.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view showing a single jet in the practice of the invention.

The embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings includes a feeder III and a sorter II which receives rivets from the feeder and discharges them' into receptacles I2 respectively identified as I2a, IZb, etc., each of which preferably comprises a removable tray or drawer which may be removed rearwardly from the device, as indicated at I3 of Fig. 2, to be emptied. The feeder III is carried at the front end of the device by a vertical wall or plate I4, having, as shown in Fig. 3, a tubular bearing I5 which projects forward from the upper portion of the plate I4 and supports a-shaft I6 which is threaded at its outer end I 'I to receive a drive head I8, the inner face of which head I8 carries a friction drive ring I8 of leather or other fibrous material having suitable frictional characteristics, to engage the front face I9 of a revolvable hopper 20 which is supported on that portion of the shaft I6 between thesleeve bearing I5 and the head I8. In spaced relation to the wall I4 a sheave 2| is fixed on the shaft I6 and the same is driven through a belt 22 from a motor 23 equipped with sheaves 24 and 25. A compression spring 26 is placed on the shaft I6 in a Position between the sheave 2| and the sleeve bearing I5, and the force of this spring 26 holds the friction ring I8 in engagement with the face I9 of the hopper 20 to transmit rotation thereto. The spring 26 permits forward movement of the shaft I6 in response to pressure applied to the head 21 mounted at the rear end of the shaft I6, whereby the hopper 20 may be moved forward and away from the plate I4 so that rivets contained within the hopper 29 may bev emptied therefrom.

The hopper 20 has a conoidal inner face 28 leading to a complement of radial slots. 29 in the lip 30 of the hopper 26 which is spaced from the front face of the plate M, the space 3i thus formed between the plate it and the hopper 2% having a width corresponding to the height of the heads of the rivets being sorted. Arcuate members 32 and 33 are secured to the plate 3 in positions adjacent the periphery of the lip 3d of the hopper 28 as shown in Fig. l, the arcuate member 33 having an inner face 3 3 spaced from the lip 30 so as to provide a space 35 to permit passage of the shanks of the rivets, the lower end of which communicates with the vertical upper end of a track or channel 35 formed between blocks Hand 38 mounted on the plate it below the hopper 20 and rearwardly or leftwardly ofiset from a vertical plane through the axis of rotation of the hopper 2E1.

The blocks 31 and 38 are adjustably secured in spaced relation to the face of the plate it so that a space 39 corresponding in width to the space M will be provided between the backs of the blocks 31 and 38 and the face of the plate l4 to accommodate the heads of rivets, the shanks of which pass down through the track 36. The block 38 is movably supported so that it may be pulled out from th position in which it is shown in Fig. 3, so that any rivets which have become lodged in the track 36 may be readily removed therefrom. A pair of rods fit project from the back of the block 38 and are slidable in openings 4! in the plate it. A screw 42 passes through an opening 33 in the plate it and has threaded engagement Mi with the block 38 so that theforce of a compression spring d5 exerted against the head of the screw t2 willbe transmitted to the block 38 to pull the same into its operative position relative to the plate it, as determined by a spacing washer at. An eye all is secured to the front of the block 38 to provide an engageable means whereby the block 38 may be pulled forward from the operative position thereof.

As shown in Fig. 3, the block 311 has a sloping lower face dB to engage the front end of the upper face of a wall member dd, which, in the preferred practice of the invention, comprises a rectangular bar extending in a general horizontal direction; that is to say, although it is 'preferably horizontal in its lengthwise extension, the bar need not be truly horizontal but may have some longitudinal slope for the reason that conveyor means are provided to control the movement of the rivets therealong, as will be hereinafter described. The block 31 may be secured to the member 49 by screw means 5%.

The member 49 is disposed in such position that its upper face 5! slopes away from a corner or edge 52 which is spaced a distance from the face of the plate Hi to provide a clearance for the heads 53 of rivets 54 when such heads 53 are in overhanging relation to the edge 52 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. To carry the rivets along the member $9 from the front end 55 to the rear end 56 thereof, We provide a conveyor consisting of a slender cable 5?, which is carried over sheaves 58 and 59 in such position that the upper run of the cable 51 will extend along the edge 52 of the member 49 to engage the shoulder or radial face 58 of the rivet head 53 and that part of the rivet shank which joins the head 53.

The cable 51 may be of any suitable material,

5 and the shanks of the rive but we have found a waxed silk thread to be preferable since its frictional characteristics are such that it will readily transport the rivets along the upper face 5i of the member 59.

Both sheaves 5t and 59 have adjustment relative to the member dd. The front sheave 58 is carried on a shaft ti which extends through an eccentric bearing sleeve $2 carried in an opening 63 in the plate it and having a locking screw 54, to secure it in a desired position of adjustment. The sheave 59 is carried on a shaft t5 which turns in an eccentric bearing sleeve or bushing be, mounted in an opening et at the upper end of an arm 68 which is supported by means of a pivot 69 carried by bracket iii, a screw lli being provided to swing the arm @8 away from the end of the member 59 so th'at movement of the sheave 59 may place tension in the cable 5?. The eccentric sleeve 65 is secured in a selected position of adjustment by a set screw it. To motivate the upper run of the cable 511 in the forward direction indicated by the arrow 130i" Fig. 2. the sheave 5B is driven in clockwise direction by a belt connection with the sheave 25 of the motor 23, there being a sheave l4 fixed on the shaft ti and being connected to the sheave 25 by a belt 55. A spring "it disposed between the sheave it and the bearing sleeve 52 holds the sheave 58 against the front end of the bearing 62.

Spaced along the upper face 5! of the wall member at, in positions cooperating with the trays 92a, me, etc., for the sorted rivets, are jet openings 16, individually identified at Eta, 1612, etc.; these jet openings it are consecutively spaced at progressively decreased distances from the edge 52 and the cable 51 extending parallel thereto, so that these jet openings 16 lie along a line which converges toward the upper run of the cable or conveyor 51!. The inner ends of the jet openings it communicate with a passage W in the wall member 39 for delivering to the jet openings a fluid, such as air, under suitable pressure. The member 39 is secured to the upper edge of a vertical plate 88 which extends to the right of the plate It, such plate it having a vertical fluid passage it which connects through a sealing nipple 8b with an opening 3! which leads to the passage ll. The lower end of the passage l9 connectsthrough a drilled opening 19a, in the plate it with an air delivery pipe 8hr which may be connected through a valve 82 with an air hose 83 or other source of fluid pressure.

In spaced consecutive order, corresponding to the longitudinal spacing of the jet openings 16,

and of the receivers or trays l2, vertical walls M are disposed normal to the far side of the wall member 59 and above the opening of the trays it, so as to define spaces 85a, 35b, etc., through which rivets being sorted may be moved from the conveyor B? and the supporting wall 439 to the trays it. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, the rearward portions of these walls 84 are covered by a metal plate 85, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, a front cover member 8'3 is provided which is comprised essentially of a sheet of transparent material M such as Plexiglas, the rear edge of the cover 87 being connected by'means of a hinge 89 to the forward edge of the plate 86; As best shown in Fig. 4, the front portions 90 of the partition walls 84 project over the upper face 5i of the wall 39 and are relieved or cut away as shown at St to provideiassage for the heads The operation of the device is as follows: The rivets, which have been previously sorted as to diameter, are fed into the hopper 20 through an entrance opening 32, and are tumbled within the hopper 20 so that the shanks 93 of the rivets will eventually find their way into the slots 23 of the hopper, as shown in Fig. 3. These rivets will then pass down through the slots 29 as indicated at 94, the heads of such rivets at this time passing down through the space 3|. As the hopper 20 rotates in a clockwise direction, as indicated in Fig. 1, some of the rivets which pass down through the slots 29 will reach a position wherein the shanks thereof will ride along the inner face of the arcuate member 32 until the shoulder 96 at the upper end of the block 38 is passed, at which time the shanks of the rivets may pass down through the channel 36, or may be carried over into the space 35 between the periphery of the hopper 20 and the inner face 34 of the arcuate member 33, as indicated at 91 in Fig. 1, from which space 35 the rivets can pass back to the channel 36.

As the rivets reach the lower end of the channel 36, they will be engaged by the conveyor 51 and will be carried to the right across the upper face 98 of a block 99 which is secured on the upper face 5| of the lower end of the block 31, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. The left portion I of the face 98 is substantially horizontal, but the face 38 is provided with a clockwise twist so that the right end IOI thereof merges with the sloping upper face of the member 43. A hold-down or guard finger I02 is secured to the block 38 in a position to project out over the shanks of the rivets as they are carried across the face 98, as shown at I03 and I04 in Fig. 6. Each rivet which engages the cable 51 is carried along toward the first of the jet openings, but before it enters the first space 85a it passes a guide I06 having a sloping face I01 which assures that the shoulder of each rivet head will be brought into engagement with the conveyor 51. Accordingly, the heads of the rivets will be caused to follow the line defined by the conveyor 51 as they travel through the path of movement along which the jet openings 16 are spaced. If the shank of a rivet is of such length, as shown at 33a in Fig. 6, that the plain end II 0 thereof passes over the first jet opening 16a, the blast of fluid issuing from such jet opening will impact the shank adjacent the plain end IIO of the rivet and will impel the rivet upwardly andrearwardly, as indicated by dotted line III,- through the first space 85a into the first receiver or tray I2a. If the shank of the rivet thus carried along by the conveyor 51 is shorter than the dimension defined by the distance between the opening 16a and the conveyor 51, such rivet will be carried along through the consecutive spaces 85a, 85b, etc., until it reaches a position wherein the blast from another jet 16 will impact its shank and cause it to be dislodged from the upper surface SI of the member 49 and the conveyor 51 into a tray I2. Owing to the converging relation of the conveyor 51 and the line of jet openings 16, the longest rivet for which provision is made will be moved into the first tray I21; and the shortest rivet will be dislodged into the last tray I 2n.

Any rivet which may not be toppled by the action of a fiuid'jet into a tray I2, but which instead may fall from the front edge of the wall 49, will be caught in a dump chute II5 having a lower member 49 adjacent theopening II6 below which a'box may be placed to collect these rivets which from time to time may be fed back into the hopper 20.

The angle of slope a of the face 5! may be varied, but we find that for ordinary purposes this angle may be about 30. The air pressure employed may be varied for different diameters and weights of rivets; for relatively small rivets, however, an air pressure varying between 40 and 60 pounds per square inch is found suitable.

The multiplicity of jet openings 16 may be interconnected so as to form a single jet in the form of a slot I25, Fig. 7, cut in the wall 5I so as to converge relative to the conveyor 51. When the conveyor 51 carries a rivet, such as the rivet I26 along the wall 5|, the end I21 of the rivet will be brought over the slot I25 at some point in its travel along the wall 5|, and the jet of air issuing from the slot I25 will throw the rivet I 26 over into a compartment 852:.

We claim as our invention:

1.. In a device for sorting rivets, the combination of: means'operative to move the rivets along a defined path of movement so that the heads thereof will follow a prescribed line and so that the shanks of said rivets will extendat an angle to said line; and a jet disposed along said path of movement and at a prescribed distance from said path of movement to deliver a blast of air against the end of the shank of those of said rivets having a shank length at least as'great as said prescribed distance to displace them from said path of movement.

2. In a device for sorting articles of the character described having shoulders, wherein a jet means has the dual function of gauging and motivating an article, the combination of a conveyor for moving said articles along a path of movement with the shoulder engaging a linear portion of said conveyor and lying in a transverse relation to said linear portion; and jet means spaced along said path of movement and in consecutive order being spaced at decreasing distances from said linear portion, said jet means being positioned and operative to issue fluid blasts to displace from said path of movement those, of said articles which are engaged'by said blasts.

3. In a device for sorting rivets, the combina-' tion of: a supporting wall having an edge which extends in a general horizontal direction and the upper face of which wall slopes down away from said edge; means for feeding rivets to one end of said wall; means operative to carry said rivets toward the other end of said wall with the shoulders thereof overhanging said edge and with the shanks thereof lying on said upper face, there being jet means spaced along said wall and converging toward said edge, said jet means being adapted to deliver :tiuid blasts to engage the end portions of said rivets and dislodge the same from said wall, in accordance with the length thereof; and means to receive the rivets of different lengths which have been so dislodged from said wall.

4. In a device for sorting rivets, the combination of a supporting wall having an edge which extends in a general horizontal direction and the upper face of which wall slopes down away from said edge; means for feeding rivets to one end of said wall; a relatively slender conveyor operative to carry said rivets toward the other end of said wall with the shoulders thereof overhanging said edge and with the shanks thereof lying on said upper face, there being jet means spaced along said wall and converging toward said edge, said jet means being adapted to deliver fluid blasts to engage the end portions of said rivets and dislodge the same from said wall, in accordance with the length thereof; and means to receive the rivets of different lengths which have been so dislodged from said wall.

5. In a device for sorting rivets, the combination of: a relatively slender conveyor to engage the shoulders of said rivets and to carry said rivets along a path of movement; a wall along said conveyor to support the shanks of said rivets, there being jet means spaced along said wall in converging relation to said conveyor, said jet means being adapted to deliver fluid blasts to engage the end portions of said rivets and dislodge the same from said wall, in accordance with the length thereof; and means to receive the rivets of difierent lengths which have been so dislodged from said wall.

6. In a device for sorting rivets, the combination of: a relatively slender conveyor extending in a general horizontal direction and being operative to engage the shoulders of said rivets and carry the same along a path of movement agreeing in direction with the conveyor; a feeder operative to feed the rivets to the conveyor at the front end of said path of movement; a wall extending along said conveyor and having a top face sloping downward from said conveyor, to support the shanks of said rivets, said wall having jet openings spacedalong said path of movement, said jet openings being disposed along a line converging toward the rear end of said conveyor; means to deliver fluid to said jet openings so as to cause blasts of fluid to issue from said openings to dislodge rivets from said wall and said conveyor; and receptacles placed along said conveyor in positions corresponding to the positions of said jet openings to receive the rivets which have been dislodged by said blasts.

7. In a device for sorting rivets, the combination of: a supporting wall having an edge which extends in a general horizontal direction and the upper face of which wall slopes down away from said edge; means for feeding rivets to one end of said wall; a thread-like member extending'along said edge in a position to carry said rivets toward'the other end of said wall with the shoulders thereof over-hanging said edge and with the shanks thereof lying on said upper face, there being jet means spaced along said wall and converging toward said edge, said jet means being adapted to deliver fluid blasts to engage the end portions of said rivets and dislodge the same from said wall, in accordance with the length thereof; wheels at the ends of said supporting wall to movably support said thread-like member; adjustment means operative to vary the tension in said thread-like member; means for driving at least one of said wheels; and means to receive the rivets of different lengths which have been so dislodged from said wall.

LEO L. KING. WILLIAM s. TAYLOR. 

